


Rigged, Absolutely Rigged

by side_stickie_note (lost_stickie_note)



Category: X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: All of them are scaredy cats, Amusement Parks, Carnival games are fucking rigged, Dohyon is the bestest babie, Fluff, Hope you like it woooo, Like gives you cavities and makes you go to the dentist sweet, M/M, Roller Coasters, Seungyoun being the best non-boyfriend boyfriend ever, Seungyoun is good with guns pew pew, Thank you to whoever prompted this, Tooth Rotting Fluff, Wooseok would be stupid not to fall in love, Wouldn't be a Seungseok without a short joke, pure fluff, side Seunghan because of course
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:42:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21640381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lost_stickie_note/pseuds/side_stickie_note
Summary: There's nothing better to bring two people closer together than to share a near-death experience. Enter Seungyoun vs. roller coaster to the great amusement of Wooseok.
Relationships: Cho Seungyeon | Seungyoun/Kim Wooseok | Wooshin, Han Seungwoo/Kim Yohan
Comments: 14
Kudos: 155
Collections: 99&UP Fic Fest





	Rigged, Absolutely Rigged

**Author's Note:**

> Super excited to participate in this fic fest!
> 
> Based on Prompt #338:  
> Wooseok gets dragged to an amusement park by his friends as an attempt to cheer him up from his recent break up. He's still trying to move on, but he can't help but think that the scaredy cat next to him on the rollercoaster, who grabs Wooseok's hand and is screaming for dear life, is cute.

Wooseok balks at the entrance, Seungwoo and Yohan walking slightly ahead of him, already halfway through security checks, letting the guard look in their drawstring bags. “What are you waiting for? Come on, Wooseok.” He walks forward reluctantly, already resigned to his fate, the sound of kids screaming and too many people squeezed into one place growing louder as he nears the other two. It’s not that he _doesn’t_ like amusement parks, but the thought of being around people he doesn’t know for the entire day is not exactly his idea of fun. Except he had promised Seungwoo that he would finally get out of the house after the last two weeks of choosing to bury himself in his bed, the covers pulled up to his chin, watching cheesy rom-coms since the breakup. _Enough is enough._ So he had agreed to a weekend outing, only he hadn’t expected the outing to be at the amusement park, especially not having to be the third wheel, grumbling when he found out he would essentially be tagging along to their date.

“Ugh, stop being so in love in front of me.” Wooseok glares balefully at the two of them holding hands, fingers intertwined. “Take pity on your recently-broken-up-single-third-wheel-friend please.”

“Don’t be such a sour puss.” Seungwoo half-sings the line, swinging Yohan’s hand for emphasis. “It’s a nice day, and you haven’t been outside in like two weeks.”

“Don’t sing at me.” He replies grumpily. “Or we might as well get you some chirping birds and call you Cinderella.”

“If anyone here would be a Disney princess, it’s you.” Yohan points out unhelpfully. “And I agree with Seungwoo. This is good for you.”

“Of course you think it’s good for me because Seungwoo thinks it’s good for me.” Wooseok tries to drive the point home by jabbing his finger in the air for each word he speaks, groaning as clearly neither boy hears him, the two of them too busy making lovestruck eyes at each other.

No use even complaining.

Wooseok sighs again, following his two friends further into the park, the sights and sounds getting more vibrant and loud as they venture their way in.

Twenty minutes later, and they’re still waiting for the roller coaster, the line budging at an excruciatingly slow pace, only moving once in a while, the line wrapped three or four times around. Wooseok takes the sunblock from Seungwoo gratefully, closing his eyes and carefully spreading some on his face and neck. The sun is beating down, hanging in the sky at its highest point, and Wooseok is starting to feel it. “You two just had to pick the hottest day of the year to come.”

Seungwoo casts him a sympathetic look. “Sorry, we really didn’t mean to.” The older boy’s face softens further. “Look, we just care about you, okay?”

“I know.” He regrets the complaints now, the sincerity on his friends’ faces making him feel the seed of guilt in the pit of his stomach. Wooseok attempts to put a smile on his face, one that feels stretched across his face just a little too widely. “I’m gonna try to have a good time today. I promise.” The relieved expression that breaks out on Yohan’s face makes him smile as he holds out his pinky to intertwine with Yohan’s.

“Seungwoooooooooo!!” Wooseok can’t make out where the yell is coming from at first, the sea of people around them too large, and admittedly, Wooseok can’t see above the heads of some of the crowd. But Seungwoo seems to know whoever it is because the older boy’s eyes light up in recognition, his hand waving and motioning someone over. He climbs up on the lower part of the railing to see, squinting off into the distance to see a group of three boys running towards where the roller coaster line ends, two of them holding hands, and a third trailing along a few steps behind.

“Dohyon!! Come here!” And Wooseok watches, amused, as the three boys proceed to cut the line to reach them, pushing their way under railings, ignoring the dirty looks from the other people, with Yohan apologizing profusely, telling the people around them that the other boys are part of their group.

All three boys are taller than him.

“So this is Dohyon. He’s one of the little kids I privately tutor in mathematics.” Wooseok startles. He had known that Seungwoo tutors, but when the other boy had mentioned his little kids in the past, Wooseok had expected them to be, well, _actually_ little. _Ugh._ Dohyon points to the boy whose hand he’s holding, excitedly making an introduction. “And this is my next door neighbor, Eunsang. We’ve been friends since we were little.” Dohyon’s nose wrinkles slightly. “And _that’s_ Seungyoun. Our families are really good friends, and he used to babysit me when I was younger.”

Eunsang adds on unnecessarily. “We don’t _exactly_ want him here, but Dohyon’s parents said we needed to take along a chaperone.” The boy frowns, his face set into a pout. “Even though we’re plenty old enough to come to the amusement park by ourselves for the day.”

Seungyoun pats the two boys over the head aggressively, mussing up their hair, a groan of exaggerated pain coming out. “That’s what I said too, but apparently, they still want me to be your glorified babysitter.” The other boy sticks out his hand for Seungwoo to shake, nodding at Yohan. “You’re Seungwoo? I’ve heard a lot from Dohyon about you. Congrats, you’re the first tutor he’s liked and hasn’t gotten fired, so I suppose that’s a win.” Then Seungyoun turns towards him, a wide smile on his face. “I see you two were forced to bring along a kid too.”

Wooseok is speechless, his two disloyal friends dissolving into laughter next to him, Yohan almost falling off the railing where he’s perched.

“I-I-“ He splutters, having difficulty finding the right words. “I was born in ’96.”

The realization dawns on Seungyoun’s face quickly, his mouth gaping open, his face flushing at his mistake. “Oh my god, I’m so, so, so sorry.” The other boy waves his arms defensively. “I really didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that you’re so _small_ , I just thought-“ Wooseok glares at the other boy, waiting as he digs himself deeper into Wooseok’s blacklist. “I mean, that’s not what I meant either.”

“Uhhhh, well, either way…” Seungyoun offers his hand, clearly still embarrassed, his other hand rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Nice to meet you, I’m Seungyoun.”

The other boy’s hand is warm, his smile wide and crooked, lighting up his eyes, and perhaps, maybe, Wooseok thinks he’s just a bit cute. Even if he did just insult him to high hell and back. _Just a little._ And his friends are too perceptive for his sanity, Yohan already making faces at him from behind the other boy, both of them sending him little hearts of approval.

“Wooseok, nice to meet you.”

He sneaks glances at Seungyoun over the next half an hour of waiting, the two youngest boys chatting at a pace that tires him, preferring instead to zone out the conversation and focus on watching the new boy instead. He doesn’t miss the fond looks Seungyoun gives Dohyon, even if he does respond with teasing words, and the thought of the other boy being a genuinely nice person warms his heart. And he hates to admit that Seungyoun has some attractive quirks, running his hands through his hair and making it flounce in a fluffiness or tilting his head to one side when he listens. The flash of red and yellow on Seungyoun’s wrist catches his eye, and Wooseok squints hard to make out what it is, the two emoticons, a smiling face and a sad face, the tattoos cute and dainty looking.

Wooseok lets out a tiny gasp as the other boy turns unexpectedly, their eyes meeting for the briefest second before he quickly averts his gaze, choosing instead to stare down at his sneakers, positive that his face must be turning bright red by now. And sure enough, he hears Seungwoo’s voice, his friend’s tone laced with concern. “Wooseok, are you okay? It looks like you’re already starting to burn, your skin is so sensitive. Here, maybe you should put on some more sunscreen.” He murmurs a thanks before grabbing the sunscreen, and out of the corner of his eye, he sees Seungyoun smiling.

It seems like forever before they get to the front of the line, and within a few moments, Wooseok has an awkward realization. Because Seungwoo and Yohan are still rubbing shoulders affectionately, holding hands. And Dohyon and Eunsang are busy chatting each other’s ears off still. So that leaves…him and Seungyoun. The other boy comes to the same conclusion almost at the exact same time, shooting him a hesitant smile, waving a hand at him. Seungyoun strides over to him, the other four having already taken their seats and locked in their safety belts, eyes widened, questioning. “Hey, Wooseok, do you want to sit together?”

“I mean, we don’t really have a choice, do we?” It’s meant to be a joke, but apparently he doesn’t do such a good job conveying that because the other boy’s face drains of color.

“Well, we don’t _have_ to if you don’t want.” Seungyoun backpeddles. “I mean, I _do_ want to, sit with you, I mean. As long as you want to sit with me too?” The other boy tilts his head to the side, and Wooseok doesn’t have the heart to even joke about saying no.

“Yeah, of course.” Seungyoun climbs into the seat next to him after he sits, and Wooseok startles in surprise as the other boy reaches over to pull down his harness for him, snapping in the safety belt with a click. _Oh._ The gesture makes him blush, the action really unexpected from someone he’s just met.

“Oh, sorry.” When he turns, Seungyoun is turning a slight shade of pink, looking at him apologetically. “Force of habit. I’m used to doing that for Dohyon all the time, you know, ever since we were little.”

“You two must be close.”

“Yeah, we are.” Seungyoun pales. “Or else I wouldn’t be here.”

Before Wooseok can ask him what he means, the loud horn at the front goes off, the ride operator’s voice coming on over the loudspeaker, booming and friendly. “So who’s ready to have some fun?” A cheer goes up from all the riders seated on the coaster, and Wooseok spots the two younger ones in the front, the loudest supporters, their hands raised into the air excitedly. And the ride lurches forward, gearing up for the first big drop, the line of cars inching up the incline slowly, the top still seeming very far away. As they climb higher, a full view of the park appears, and Wooseok cranes his head interestedly to look. “Hey Seungyoun, we can even see the swings from over here.”

But the other boy isn’t paying attention in the slightest he realizes, Seungyoun’s knuckles turning white from clutching at the harness, his eyes staring determinedly straight ahead, his jaw set tight, his teeth clenched. Wooseok’s just about to reach out his hand, the words of reassurance halfway out of his mouth when they make it to the top. “Hey, Seungyoun, it’s ok-“ And suddenly his words are lost to the wind, the _whoosh_ feeling in his stomach from dropping the only thing he can feel. The shrill shriek surprises him, and at first, Wooseok thinks he must be hearing things because there’s just _no possible way_ anyone has such a high pitched scream. _It sounds like a dolphin._ But he realizes his mistake the instant he feels the boy next to him squeezing all the life out of right hand, Seungyoun holding on so tightly that Wooseok is sure that he has to be losing circulation.

Oh. My. God.

And Wooseok knows he shouldn’t be laughing because the other boy seems actually scared to death, but he’s greatly enjoying the highs and lows of the roller coaster, with each drop Seungyoun’s scream echoing in his ears. The ride finally ends, and they pull back into the front, ready to unboard. And Wooseok winces as Seungyoun finally lets go of his hand, closing and opening his fist a few times to restore feeling to his fingers. “Hey, Seungyoun, are you okay?” He looks over concerned at the other boy, who climbs out of his seat unsteadily, nearly tripping when getting out, his legs clearly wobbly, and Wooseok braces his hands behind Seungyoun just in case the other boy falls backwards.

“Hey, Seungyoun?” He wraps his arm around Seungyoun’s shoulder, walking next to him as they go down the ramp leading to the exit of the ride, the other boy not speaking. The rest of their group is waiting at the exit, Dohyon waving excitedly at the two of them.

“Can we go again?” Eunsang points at the ride. “That was absolutely fucking amazing.”

“Language, Eunsang.”

“You’re not our mom, Seungwoo.”

“Maybe we can loop back around later.” Yohan suggests. “The line got longer again, and there’s so many other rides in the park we haven’t gotten to yet.” And Wooseok realizes his friend is right. Somehow in the time they had been waiting and on the ride, hordes of other people had joined, the amusement park starting to get more full. “Besides Seungwoo and I want to go on the ferris wheel.”

“Uhh, guys? I feel sort of sick.” And indeed, Seungyoun looks a bit too pale and peaky, the color not quite reaching his cheeks. “I don’t think I can go on another ride right now.”

“But-“ Dohyon starts to speak, a disappointed look on his face, but falls quiet once Eunsang shakes his head at him. Wooseok makes a snap decision, waving his hand at the rest of the group. “It’s okay, I can take care of Seungyoun. You guys go have fun, and we’ll catch up later. Just text us where you are.”

Seungwoo looks at him with a concerned expression, hesitant. “Are you sure Wooseok? I mean, we can all stay.”

“No, no. I’m sure.” Wooseok smiles at his friends. “Go. Take the kids and have fun on your cheesy couple ferris wheel ride.” His words make the tips of Yohan’s ears redden, and Wooseok shoots them a thumbs up. “We’ll be fine. I promise.” He rubs Seungyoun’s back, little circular motions, as he watches the other four boys walk towards the ferris wheel, the other boy doubled over clutching his stomach.

“Seungyoun? Do you need to go to the bathroom?” The other boy straightens up, and nods almost imperceptibly at him, face still pale. Fives minutes later, and Wooseok is standing outside the bathroom stall, the sound of the other boy retching on the other end. “Seungyoun?” He tentatively taps the door with his knuckles. “Are you doing okay?”

“No…” Seungyoun moans, his voice laced with misery. “I forgot how much roller coasters disagree with my stomach. I hate this.”

“Then why did you even get on the ride?”

The answer from the other boy comes out a mumble, undecipherable to Wooseok’s ears. “What did you say?”

A loud groan. “I said, because Dohyon really wanted to go on the roller coaster, and I wasn’t about to look like a coward in front of him. The kid looks up to me.” Wooseok shakes his head at the faulty logic, though he can’t help but soften at the evident caring that the other boy has for the youngest one.

“So you two must be really close.” Wooseok backs away as the door to the stall swings open, Seungyoun’s face swimming into view, still a bit pale, but certainly with some colors returning to his cheeks. The other boy nods at him slightly. “Yeah, he’s like my real little brother almost. Annoys the hell out of me sometimes like a real brother too.” The snarky comments brings a smile to Wooseok’s face, and Seungyoun’s tone turns apologetic, remorse on his face. “Anyways, I’m sorry you had to miss the ferris wheel just to babysit me while I _literally_ get sick.” The other boy scrunches up his nose. “Definitely not your idea of a good time I suppose.”

He shakes his head, smiling, his hands up to wave off the apology. “No, no, it’s okay. It’s not like I have anyone to have a cute couple moment with anyways, not like Seungwoo and Yohan.” Wooseok stammers when he sees Seungyoun’s eyes widen, wondering if he’s said too much. “I mean, I didn’t want to go on the ferris wheel anyway, so it’s fine.”

“Oh, I thought someone as beautiful as you would definitely have someone already.” The other boy’s face is too open, sincere—it makes Wooseok feel hope, a small seed burrowing its way into his chest.

“Yeah? How abou-“ The sound of his cell phone going off interrupts him, the music of Seungwoo’s personalized ringtone reverberating in the bathroom, loud in the small space. “Hey, Seungwoo. What’s up?” Wooseok barely hears what his friend is saying on the other end of the line, Seungwoo’s voice tinny in his ears. All he can concentrate on is Seungyoun staring at him intently, the other boy’s eyes boring into him, his fixated gaze making Wooseok feel self-conscious, and he really hopes he isn’t turning red. “Mhm. Yeah, sure.”

Seungyoun gives him a small smile when the call ends. “What’d he say?”

“To meet them over at the carnival games. They finished their ferris wheel ride.” Wooseok finds the image of Seungwoo and Yohan on the ferris wheel, linking hands and taking pictures together, popping into his head, and for a brief instant he wonders whether what it would be like to go with Seungyoun. Now he can definitely feel the flush heating his cheeks. He shifts from one foot to another, uncomfortable, his words coming out awkwardly. “So…I guess we should go?”

“Yeah, let’s head over.” Seungyoun follows him out, and Wooseok rummages through his bag, searching for the park map he is sure he placed in there earlier. “It’s okay, I got one, Wooseok.” He freezes as the other boy lightly taps him on the head with the park map before opening it up, eyes downward cast to search for the direction they should head. Wooseok’s not sure what’s worse, that he feels unreasonably pleased by the action or that he doesn’t quite mind that this boy he’s only just met hours ago makes him feel this way. “Hmm, looks like it’s just a short walk away, over there.” Seungyoun points a direction to their left, and Wooseok startles, the other boy casually linking their arms together. “Come on, Wooseok.”

Seungyoun stares at the map as they walk, carefully navigating, paying him no mind, and Wooseok wonders if it’s only him that is affected, simultaneously wanting to tear his arm away and lean into the taller boy’s side. Ugh. _It’s nothing, he’s just being nice. Just being nice._ Wooseok chants it to himself in his head as they walk, trying to calm himself down, uncomfortably aware of how fast his heart is beating. _Just being nice, just being nice._ “Hey guys!”

Wooseok feels himself being dragged forward by the other boy, Seungyoun excitedly waving to the rest of their group, likely forgetting that the two of them are still attached. He doesn’t miss the knowing looks that Seungwoo and Yohan are giving him, their gazes fixated on his arm linked with Seungyoun’s, and he desperately tries to convey silently for the two of them to shut up and _not say anything_. And maybe he would be safe if it is only his friends he needs to worry about because after all they might tease him sometimes, but neither of them would be so terrible as to _completely_ throw him under the bus. Or at least he likes to think so.

But he forgets the unfortunate unknown variable aka the two kids.

“You two are holding _hands_.” Dohyon’s voice comes out high-pitched and shrill, immediately pointing without any regard for Wooseok’s potential embarrassment. “Does this mean you two like each other?” The other boy’s voice gets higher and louder with each word. And Wooseok sighs in relief when Seungyoun immediately releases his arm.

“Nah, they’re just linking arms. Means nothing.” Eunsang chimes in, eyeing the two of them critically.

“You know, Wooseok.” Dohyon’s tone is laced with excitement, his face lighting up with a grin, his eyebrows raising suggestively. “Seungyoun hasn’t had a date in _ages_. You’d almost be doing him a favor if you went on a date with him. And he’s such a good boyfriend. He would totally treat you really well, and his _last_ boyfriend said he was great in be-“

“Okay, yeah, that’s enough out of you.” Seungyoun smiles cheerfully, his eyes crinkling in the corners as he does, the expression a stark contrast to his actions, one hand moving to cover the younger boy’s mouth threateningly so he can’t speak. Wooseok feels the tips of his ears starting to burn, not missing the last part of the other boy’s words in the slightest. “Dohyon you’re not allowed to talk about this for the rest of today or else I’m telling your mom that you spent all your lunch money last week on _just_ candy. Half of which is still in your room.” The younger boy visibly blanches, his lips sealed tightly after Seungyoun lets go.

“Fine.” Dohyon’s voice is small, his shoulders hunched in defeat.

“But really, you two should date.” Eunsang shrugs at the look Seungyoun gives him, the older boy looking as if he wants to throttle Eunsang. “ _What_? It’s not like you can do anything to _me_.”

Wooseok wishes Seungwoo and Yohan weren’t getting such a kick out of it, the two of them struggling to hide their grins, or rather, not even trying to, Yohan winking at him instead. “How about we go play some games instead?” Seungwoo suggests, slinging his arm around Yohan’s shoulders. “I’m ready to win something.”

Forty five minutes later, and it’s clear that none of them are winning anything.

“Why are carnival games so hard?” Dohyon grumbles, letting out a deep sigh as they finish their latest ring toss game, only managing to get a few to land properly on their targets, the rest just bouncing as soon as they hit the bottles, flying wildly off to the side.

“It’s because they’re rigged. All fucking rigged.” Eunsang scowls, reluctantly accepting their newest prize, one of the small characters near the bottom of the prize tier list. “There’s no way that we can play so many times and not even win a medium-sized prize.”

Seungwoo pats Yohan’s head, handing Dohyon and Eunsang some more money to try again, the two of them running off to find another game to attempt beating. “It’s okay, I’m just going to buy you whatever you want from the gift shop at the end of the day instead. No point in spending more money on trying to win a prize like the kiddos.”

Wooseok snorts, shaking his head. “Yeah, I doubt anyone can win one of the big prizes. They pretty much make it impossible to.”

For the first time in a while, Seungyoun looks up with perked interest, spending most of their game time staying fairly quiet, and Wooseok presumes that the other boy still felt sick. “Is there a big prize that you really want?” The taller boy’s gaze is boring into him, and Seungyoun’s intense focused attention makes Wooseok feel light-headed, a rush of adrenaline running through him. The other boy seems very serious all of a sudden, and Wooseok stammers upon answering.

“N-no, not at all.”

Now it’s Yohan’s turn to snort with laughter, casting a judgmental look at him. “What are you talking about Wooseok? You _love_ cheesy stuff like winning prizes. Remember last time when we were at the arcade? You wanted that dumbass to win you something from the claw machine sooo bad that he dropped like fifty dollars on that one game. And he _still_ didn’t win you anything.” Yohan frowns, a sour expression marring his face as he remembers Wooseok’s ex.

“That was a long time ago.” Wooseok feels the blush heating his cheeks, his gaze shifting between Yohan who’s staring at him with disbelief, Seungwoo with a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips, and Seungyoun who is full-out staring at him now. “It doesn’t matter.”

“What do you mean?” Yohan squawks. “That was only like three months ago.”

Seungwoo tries to hide his smile behind one hand covering his mouth, a fact that Wooseok doesn’t miss, trying to bluster with a fake confidence he doesn’t feel. “It doesn’t _matter_.” He hisses at Yohan. “Now drop it.”

“Which one do you want?” Seungyoun asks the question like it’s a statement, as if Wooseok doesn’t have an option to refuse, and he squirms under the scrutiny, torn between _perhaps_ wanting the other boy to win him a prize, the thought burning a flame of delight in his chest, but also not wanting Seungyoun to go through the trouble. After all, they had just spent nearly an hour trying.

“He likes teddy bears.” Seungwoo adds unhelpfully, ignoring the glare Wooseok shoots at him. “But really, anything that’s a gigantic stuffed plushie, he will love it.”

Seungyoun turns, making his way towards the edge of the carnival games, and Wooseok picks up his pace to follow the other boy, cursing his friends for being the busybodies they are, the two of them trailing behind Seungyoun and him. And Wooseok can almost _feel_ his friends whispering about the two of them, Seungyoun striding slightly ahead of him with purposeful steps. The taller boy starts at the end and goes down the line, looking each carnival game booth over before moving on to the next one, until they have inspected the entire section. Before he can ask whether Seungyoun has picked one, the taller boy doubles back and makes a beeline for a booth.

“I’m going to win you that.” Seungyoun points confidently to the teddy bear hanging in the rafters of the booth, a huge stuffed bear with dark coffee espresso colored fur, a huge bow around its neck.

“Uhhh, Seungyoun, you really don’t have to.” The words come out of Wooseok’s mouth weakly, not sure whether they will have any effect at all, the other boy’s jaw set in a determined look, mind seemingly already decided. “I don’t really need another stuffed animal.”

The taller boy turns to him, gaze unwavering. “Do you want it?”

_Yes._

“…maybe.”

“Okay, then I’m going to win it for you.” Seungyoun grabs his wallet out of his pocket, peeling off some bills and handing them to the man behind the counter. “How many do I need to hit to get the huge prize?” The man looks at him skeptically. “You get ten total shots, and you need to get all ten if you want the teddy bear.” He adds on. “I think I’ve only seen one person get all ten though in the past month I’ve been working this booth.”

The outright grin that appears on Seungyoun’s face makes him forget how to breathe for a moment. “Watch me.” The other boy picks up the toy dart gun, right hand on the handle, index finger on the trigger, his left hand cradling the barrel, leaning down and forward slightly so that his face is level with the line of sight down the barrel to aim. And Seungyoun bites his lower lip in concentration as he stares at the colored balloons along the back wall, his shoulders nice and square with his hips, and Wooseok can’t help but notice how broad the taller boy’s shoulders are.

The first _pop!_ nearly gives him a scare, not realizing that Seungyoun had already pulled the trigger, the bright pink exploding into air. The taller boy readjusts his stance, aims, and the next to go is the yellow balloon next to it. Then the green. And the red. And the orange. With each passing balloon, Wooseok can feel the excitement rising in his chest making him heady with anticipation, the thought of actually winning now seemingly in reach.

Seungyoun misses the seventh, the blue balloon still intact after he shoots his shot, and the other boy lets fly a curse, frowning down at the dart gun in his hands. He hits on two of the last three shots, and suddenly, they have a mid-tier prize on their hands, the blue whale larger than anything else they’ve won all afternoon. Wooseok tries to bite back the small stab of disappointment, reaching out to take the prize, Seungwoo opening up his drawstring bag for Wooseok to place it into. “It’s okay, Seungyoun. You did your best. And look, we got something bigger, maybe we can give it to Dohyon.”

Seungyoun shakes his head at him, expression unreadable. “Again.” He hands the man behind the counter more money, and the man shrugs dubiously. “It’s your money.” He hands the dart gun back to Seungyoun. “Ten shots buddy.”

He watches as the other boy takes deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling a few times before starting, his brows knit together in concentration, his lips pressed into a thin line. One. Seungyoun starts on the row above his previous row this time, beginning with the furthest most balloon on the left. Two. The thought crosses Wooseok’s mind that the other boy looks fairly attractive with the dart gun in his hands. Three. Four. He feels a tad bit ridiculous for cheering Seungyoun on, the words of encouragement coming out automatically as he watches with baited breath. Five. Wooseok wonders if he looks like someone cheering on his boyfriend. He really hopes not. Six. Seven. Okay, maybe he wouldn’t mind terribly if anyone passing by thinks Seungyoun is his boyfriend. Eight. Because it would please him to be linked with someone so attractive of course. Nine. Not because he _wants_ Seungyoun to perhaps ask him out.

Ten.

The scream comes out of his mouth unwittingly, the excitement washing over him as the last balloon is popped, a bright lime green one. And the relieved smile spreads over the other boy’s face as the man behind the counter gapes, wordlessly forfeiting, reaching upwards to unhood the giant teddy bear, handing it over to Seungyoun. The other boy turns to him to present him the bear, and stuffed animal so large that Wooseok can barely see Seungyoun at all, only the other boy’s face peeking out from behind the bear’s shoulder, a triumphant grin on his face. “I told you I’d win it for you.” Seungyoun crows, gleeful in his success. “Here you go, Wooseok.” The other boy passes him the bear, and Wooseok feels a thrill run through him as their fingertips brush briefly. The bear dwarfs him, nearly as big as he is, and he is delighted as he hugs it, the plushie feeling just as soft as it looks, with just the perfect amount of squishiness.

“Thank you, Seungyoun.”

Seungyoun looks at the bear proudly, giving Wooseok a wink. “I told you I could do it.” The other boy looks at him with a pleased expression. “Do you like it?” Wooseok nods fervently, squeezing the bear tighter as he does, the arms of the bear draping over his shoulders. “I love it.” It’s true. Winning the bear has definitely been the best thing to happen to Wooseok in the last two weeks after the breakup, feeling buoyed with happiness in his chest, the feeling of lightness in his feet. And if Wooseok is being honest with himself, having a cute guy win it for him just makes it all that much better. But he doesn’t want to think about that right now.

“What?” The scandalized voice comes out of nowhere, a shriek of surprise. “You guys actually _won_?” Dohyon comes bounding up to them, Eunsang following close behind. “I can’t believe this.” And Wooseok reluctantly loosens his grip on the teddy bear as Dohyon comes up, giving the plushie a huge hug. “Who won it?”

“I did.”

The youngest looks at Seungyoun reverently. “Yeah? Does that mean this is for me?”

“Uhhh, no.” The older boy looks at Dohyon apologetically. “I actually won it for Wooseok. Sorry, Dohyon.” The younger boy’s face is crestfallen, the disappointment written on his face.

“But…”

Eunsang plucks the teddy bear out of Dohyon’s arms, handing it back to Wooseok who can’t help feel a twinge of relief, hugging the furry bear close, mixed with some embarrassment for being so desperate to keep the bear when really he should be the bigger person and give it away to the youngest. “Dohyon, he said it’s for Wooseok, so it’s not polite for you to ask.” Dohyon sighs but listens to Eunsang, the older boy squeezing Dohyon’s shoulder comfortingly. “We can always try to win another.”

“Yeah, let’s do that.” Seungyoun agrees, patting Dohyon on the head. “Come on. I’ll show you the game I won this one at.” Yohan nods encouragingly, linking his arm through Dohyon’s, flanking the younger boy’s right side with Eunsang on the left. “Why don’t we have Seungyoun show you guys the game? And we can try to win another big prize.” The four of them start walking back towards the balloon popping booth, leaving Seungwoo behind with Wooseok, and he watches Seungyoun’s back as the other boy walks away, gesturing at Dohyon, his face animated.

“Charming, isn’t he?” Seungwoo notes, standing next to him, his hands shoved in his pockets.

“Shut up.”

“I’m just saying, maybe you’re not _too_ upset about us dragging you out of your room now?”

“He literally got sick after riding a roller coaster that I first went on when I was like twelve.”

“First off, lies. You weren’t tall enough when you were twelve to get on that ride.” Wooseok makes a strangled noise of annoyance at his friend’s words. “And after that, he won you a teddy bear.” Seungwoo pauses before continuing. “…just, think about it Wooseok. There are better people out there than your ex.” Seungwoo doesn’t wait for him to respond, instead choosing to make his way over to the rest of their group, the sounds of the others having a great time drifting over, Seungyoun’s sharp laughter ringing in the air, and Eunsang’s indignant cry. “Rigged, I tell you. Rigged!”

He watches, amazed, as Dohyon practically _inhales_ the entire meal in front of him, eating at a pace that he didn’t believe was possible. Thirteen more failed attempts at winning a big prize and four rides later, the whole table is busily chowing down food, ravenous after the busy morning, the six of them taking up a whole picnic table to themselves. Wooseok had spent the rest of the morning with Seungyoun, the other boy not willing to go on another ride and Wooseok needing to hold on to the bear. He learns that Seungyoun is passionate about music, spending a set time each week at the studio, one owned by a friend who kindly lets him use the space. The other boy plays soccer, having once dreamed of playing professionally, but now plays in an intramural league at university. And he’s a linguistics major, self-studying different languages he’s been interested in, declaring that his most recent one is Chinese. _Though I’ve only picked up a few words so far._

“This, mmmm, is, uh, great, mmm.” Dohyon says in between bites, his cheeks stuffed full with food making them puff out like a chipmunk as Wooseok watches. “Can we get dessert afterwards?” Yohan and Eunsang second the prospect, and Seungwoo nods his agreement. “Okay, sure, but you all need to make sure you finish everything on your plates first.” The oldest boy pauses, pointing meaningfully at the salad in the middle of the table, untouched. “ _Including_ the healthy stuff.”

“Ugh, our kids are gonna have such a great dad.” Yohan remarks offhandedly, a split second later realizing what he had said, his eyes wide with panic, the food he’s bringing to his mouth frozen in mid-air, his face reddening immediately, the tips of his ears turning a bright shade of pink. The whole table freezes for a full moment, the six of them all staring at each other from across the table. And Wooseok is looking at Seungwoo for _his_ reaction, watching as the older boy finally processes what was said, the blush just starting to paint his cheeks.

“I-I-“ Seungwoo doesn’t even know what to say, the words caught in his throat, and Wooseok laughs first, the image of the other boy’s eyes nearly bugging out of his head a fitting payback for all the teasing from earlier. The instant his laugh breaks the silence, Dohyon chimes in, breaking the tension. “Well, of course he will. He’s already had so much practice with me.”

The rest of the meal passes uneventfully, unless Wooseok counts the fact that Dohyon somehow manages to eat a second meal and get halfway through a third in the time the rest of them have finished only one. Puberty, man. And still somehow both Dohyon and Eunsang have an exorbitant amount of energy, eager to run through the rest of their day, while Wooseok can already feel the food coma coming on. “Dessert, dessert, dessert.” Eunsang and Dohyon start the chant, motioning them towards a vendor that seems to be selling the largest ice cream cones Wooseok has seen in his entire life, the last person in line with one piled four scoops high, topped with drizzled chocolate syrup and sprinkles. His stomach automatically issues a rejection, and he must have made some sort of face to go along with it because Seungyoun turns to him with a smile. “Too full for ice cream?”

Wooseok wrinkles his nose, scrunching his face into a look of dissatisfaction. “Yeah, lunch was already too filling.”

“Okay, come on.” Seungyoun doesn’t just take his arm this time, and Wooseok gets a shock when he feels the other boy’s fingers intertwining with his, Seungyoun’s hand warmer, holding onto him somewhat loosely but firm, pulling Wooseok along behind him. The taller boy seems to be searching for something specific, paying no mind to the fact that they are getting further and further away from the rest of the group. And Wooseok feels the embarrassment coming off of him as they walk around, self-conscious about looking like a couple on a _date_. The taller boy stops suddenly in the middle of the pathway, and Wooseok crashes into him slightly, his nose hitting the other boy’s back, a small _eep_ escaping from his mouth as he does. “Oh, sorry about that.” Seungyoun turns around to make sure he’s okay, worried gaze tracing his face for any signs of discomfort. “Anyway, I found dessert for us. You like sweet things right?”

“Maybe.”

“You said you did at lunch.” _Goddamn, stop remembering everything I say._ Wooseok finds himself swooning on the inside. Just a little bit. “And you said you were too full, so I think maybe cotton candy would be good.” Seungyoun looks at him almost shyly, a questioning look on his face, uncertain about Wooseok’s response, and he feels the swoon starting again at the evident care that the other boy is showing him despite only knowing each other for such a short time.

“Yeah, that sounds perfect.” Seungyoun’s face breaks out into a dazzling smile, holding up one finger motioning him to wait. Wooseok does as the other boy goes up to the vendor, hands over a few bills, and gets handed two bags of cotton candy, one blue, one pink. “Now we have dessert too.” Seungyoun hands him the pink bag, undoing the twisty tie on his own bag, ripping off a piece. “Mmm. Sweet.” The other boy shoves a few more pieces into his mouth, and Wooseok laughs as Seungyoun sticks out his tongue at him playfully. “Am I blue yet?” And indeed, the taller boy’s tongue is a bright shade of candy-blue, the color even staining a bit of his lips, and Wooseok has the insane urge to just stretch up and kiss the other boy. _Crazy._ Instead, he rips off his own piece, pushing the pink cloud of fluff into his mouth, letting the taste melt in his mouth, gone in an instant, the lingering sweetness on his tongue. He sticks out his tongue at Seungyoun. “Yup. How about me?” The other boy shakes his head at him. “Not quite yet.”

Wooseok rips off another chunk, fully intending to eat it, but his mind goes blank when Seungyoun leans down, taking a bite, the other boy’s mouth far too close to his fingers for a brief second. “Hmm, pretty good. But I think mine is better actually.” Seungyoun tears off a piece from his blue cotton candy. “Here, try it.” And the other boy is holding out the blue for him to eat, and Wooseok can feel himself blushing as he does, the heat rising in his cheeks, Seungyoun feeding the piece to him carefully as he opens his mouth. The other boy stares at him as he eats, and Wooseok needs to avert his eyes after a moment, the nervousness arising the longer Seungyoun gazes at him. He sticks out his tongue after it dissolves in his mouth, the taste running through him like a glow of happiness.

“How about now?”

“Perfect.” Seungyoun says the word, and it seems to last forever. The other two words are tacked on like an afterthought. “Very blue.”

Yohan waves them over when they return, the whole group still gathered near the ice cream vendor, three cones between the four of them, Dohyon hastily making his way through what looks like chocolate, Eunsang still with a towering cone of mint choco, and Yohan holding a cup of mint choco chip with Seungwoo scooping out a bite as they approach. “You guys got cotton candy?” Eunsang’s face brightens, topped off by a subtle look that Wooseok doesn’t miss. “We were wondering where you two ran off to.”

“Just to get a dessert that isn’t as heavy.” Seungyoun ruffles Dohyon’s hair. “Chocolate?”

The younger boy gives Seungyoun a haughty look, his nose scrunched up in mock distaste. “Yeah, not like I was gonna get mint choco like the rest of them.” Seungyoun wordlessly hands over the remainder of the blue cotton candy bag to Eunsang who’s holding out his hands, the expression on his face screaming _gimme some_.

Yohan rolls his eyes at Dohyon’s words. “One day, you will grow up and understand the beauty that is mint choco. And I will be there to say _I told you so_.” He waves his hand, gesturing at them to hurry up eating. “So after we finish, where do you all want to go next?”

Seungwoo grins at them playfully. “How about we go to the haunted house?” Wooseok swears that he sees it happening in slow-motion, Dohyon going completely still, the younger boy’s face draining of color, and it only takes one hand tremble and the rest of Dohyon’s chocolate chip ice cream falls in a beautiful, almost choreographed splat right on to the ground. He’s not the only one. Yohan doesn’t look any better, an almost pained expression crossing his face, halfway between a grimace and a put-out expression. “Why would you even suggest that?” Yohan shakes Seungwoo’s arm frantically, causing his boyfriend’s entire body to shake too, whining. “You know I _hate_ being scared.”

“What?” Seungwoo adds on innocently. “You don’t trust me to protect you?”

Yohan groans.

And the only sound Wooseok ends up hearing is Eunsang cackling maniacally.

They end up in front of the haunted house.

It somehow comes down to the group vote, with only Dohyon and Yohan voting no, and Wooseok highly suspects that everyone votes yes just to get a rise out of the two of them, Seungwoo leading the charge, gleefully ignoring the pleading looks from Yohan. They practically need to drag Dohyon over, Eunsang with a firm grip on the other boy’s arm, the one time Wooseok’s seen the youngest boy not listen to Eunsang today. _It’ll be fun._ And Wooseok smiles, amused at the picture of the five of them walking just slightly ahead.

“Wait, Wooseok,” Yohan looks at him dubiously. “I’m not sure you want to bring the teddy bear in there.” Oh right, the bear. He clutches it closer, somehow halfway forgetting that he’s still holding it. “How about you put it down in storage, maybe a locker or something before going in.”

“Uhhh.” The thought doesn’t appeal to him, the idea of leaving his huge oversized prize somewhere else making him feel bad. “I’d rather not.”

“Or…” Seungwoo grins. “I could hold it for you out here, and everyone else can go inside.” The look Yohan gives him, all puppy dog and wide-eyed, makes even Wooseok feel bad. “…kidding, Yohan, kidding.” He waves his hand at the rest of the group. “But we do have the perfect number to go in pairs. So how about Dohyon and Eunsang first. Then Wooseok and Seungyoun. And we’ll be last. And we can just trade off on holding Wooseok’s teddy bear since he doesn’t want to drop it off somewhere.” Wooseok feels at this point that his glaring throughout the day hasn’t been as effective as he would have hoped, Seungwoo just completely ignoring his most recent murderous look.

“Off you two go!” Seungwoo says in a sing-song voice, ushering both Dohyon and Eunsang towards the entrance, the youngest boy still protesting as Eunsang drags him in. Seungyoun chuckles next to him, patting him on the shoulder, the other boy’s hand feeling heavy. “Looks like we’re stuck together.” The taller boy makes a face at him. “Am I going to have to protect you from the scary monsters inside the house?”

Wooseok sticks out his tongue. “You couldn’t even ride the roller coaster without getting sick. And you expect me to believe that you’re going to be my knight in shining armor or something?”

“Yes.” Seungyoun says it earnestly, and it makes Wooseok’s insides flip-flop.

The sudden screaming startles him out of his conversation with Seungyoun, the sound echoing through the hallway of the entranceway, and Wooseok sees the two figures getting closer, with Dohyon coming into view first, Eunsang following close behind. The youngest makes a beeline towards Seungyoun, hiding immediately and using the taller boy as a makeshift human shield. “Dohyon, wait up!!” Eunsang catches up, panting, hands on his knees after running.

“What happened?” Seungyoun questioned.

Eunsang shakes his head ruefully. “We never even made it down the second hallway.” Dohyon just looks at them mutely, the shell-shocked expression still on his face. “It’s okay.” Yohan comes over to wrap Dohyon in a hug, glaring at Seungwoo who doesn’t try to hide his grin. “I know _exactly_ how you feel already.”

Seungwoo nods at Wooseok and Seungyoun. “Why don’t you two go next? We’ll take care of this.” His friend plucks the teddy bear from his arms, and Wooseok makes a small strangled noise of protest, handing the plushie to Dohyon instead. “Here Dohyon, hold this. It’ll make you feel better.” Yohan nods in agreement from where he’s still backhugging the younger boy, the teddy bear obscuring everything except for their faces. “Yeah, we’ll go last.” He says the words as if they hurt him.

Seungyoun doesn’t need to be told twice, grabbing Wooseok’s hand and pulling him towards the entrance, voice teasing. “So, are we going to bet on who’s going to come out screaming first?”

“Not a chance that it’ll be me.” Wooseok feels his stubbornness swelling in his chest, not wanting to admit defeat. “You are definitely going to be the Dohyon out of the two of us.”

“We’ll see now, won’t we?”

Wooseok doesn’t feel quite as brave once they walk in, the light from the park getting further away as they go deeper in, the place pitch black except for some low-lit strobe lights periodically flashing to the soundtrack of creepy music, showing glimpses of the decorations on the walls, a mix of faux spiderwebs and fake blood. He feels Seungyoun’s hand squeezing his tightly, not unlike their roller coaster debacle, and Wooseok is just about to turn to the other boy and tell him to at least loosen his grip when it happens.

Something on him.

Wooseok screams.

And he doesn’t stop screaming until the prickly feeling on his skin goes away, the other boy pressed up with his back against the wall, doubled over laughing at him. _Ugh._ “Y-you should have seen your face.” Seungyoun chokes out, barely managing to push out the words between taking large gasps of breath. “I thought you would have seen that coming from a mile away.” Wooseok grimaces, swatting at his cheek, still able to feel the scratchiness from where the large fake spider had landed on his head, the legs coming down to brush his face, his shoulders, the wetness of fake goo or something already in his hair. “Why did you think there were spiderwebs everywhere?”

“I don’t know.” He wails, running his fingers through his hair blindly, not able to really even see what he’s picking at.

“Here, wait, lemme help.” Wooseok can barely make out the taller boy’s face in the dark, only when the flashing lights go off, but he sees Seungyoun’s eyes narrowed in concentration. “Hey, can you duck your head a little bit? I think it’s stuck to the top.” He obeys, staring down at their feet as the other boy runs his hands through his hair, a surprisingly nice feeling. “Got it. Just a bunch of fake cobweb material. I did the best I could to get it all out.”

Wooseok grumbles. “That didn’t count by the way.”

“Hmm?” Seungyoun peers at him as he looks up. “What did you say?”

“That didn’t count as me being the first to scream.”

Seungyoun looks at him with disbelief. “I really feel like it did though.”

“No.” He insists, hoping that the darkness inside the house hides the embarrassment that is heating his cheeks. “I wasn’t ready yet.” He pauses, adding on an afterthought. “Besides, that wasn’t fair since it only landed on _me_. And not on you at all.”

“Okay, whatever you say.” The other boy pats him on the head. “We can not count that if you want.”

Wooseok doesn’t expect the other boy to give in so easily, leaving him speechless as he follows the taller boy to the next place, turning a corner into a different hallway, a little spike of anxiety blooming when Seungyoun’s back is out of sight for a second being a few steps ahead of him. “Hey wait up!” He nearly barrels into Seungyoun, taking the corner a bit fast, the other boy waiting patiently for him to catch up. The new corridor is painted all in red, the bright sickly color looking absolutely homicidal, the only lights being some swinging fixtures that Wooseok is pretty sure are flickering on purpose. The hallway leads to a room, and as they get closer, Wooseok feels the acrid smell hit his nose, and it takes him a second to place it. _Garlic._ Oh, vampires. He can handle vampires, yeah. Even with his internal monologuing, he lags just a bit after Seungyoun, the taller boy big enough to hide behind.

Seungyoun pushes open the door to the room at the end of the hallway, and Wooseok blinks to adjust his eyes, the entire room lit up with waxy candles, half of them dripping all the way down to their base already, an upright coffin against the wall, the lid closed, an organ on the other side of the wall, a large round black table in the middle, empty except for a silver goblet in the center. He almost jumps when he feels the other boy squeeze his hand reassuringly, gripping him loosely this time. The entire ambience is completed with low, mysterious organ music pumping into the room through speakers. The sound of creaking plays overhead, and a tinny voice on top of the music asks the question. _Are you brave enough to peek inside?_

No, definitely no.

“Let’s do it.” Seungyoun grins at him, running his hand through his hair. “That’s what we’re here for, isn’t it?” The other boy’s voice is teasing with an infectious energy. “Unless you’re scared.”

“I’m not scared.” Wooseok bluffs, striding over to the closed coffin with apprehension dragging his feet. His voice drops down to a whisper, the other boy craning in closer to hear him. “But don’t you think if we open it that something’s just going to jump out at us?” The prospect of being attacked _again_ doesn’t thrill him to his core exactly.

“Well, we won’t find out until we do it.” Seungyoun is so close that he can feel the other boy’s breath on the back of his neck, the taller boy pushing him in the back slightly to move him forward, the breathing unfortunately adding to the eerie atmosphere instead of comforting him. Wooseok moves closer to the coffin, the dread pooling in his stomach as he does, knowing that he’ll likely be scared out of his wits in a few moments.

The surface of the lid is smooth and cold, far colder than he expects, and he feels around hesitantly at the end, fingers searching for some type of clasp or handle with which to open it. There’s nothing obvious, and Wooseok supposes it means that he’s just supposed to grab the edge, digging his fingertips under the lid, a very slim area to work with. The lid is lighter than he would have guessed from the way it looks, and he feels nearly no resistance as he lifts it, steeling himself for the surprise to pop out. In one quick motion, he throws the lid to the coffin wide open, automatically taking a step back in anticipation, throwing his hands up to shield his face.

One beat, two beats. Nothing happens, and Wooseok peers out from behind his hands to look after a few moments pass. There’s _someone_ in the coffin, the pale milky white skin almost translucent in the dark, the figure dressed like a gothic vampire, a frilly black dress exploding with lace and tulle, arms crossed over her chest, long dark hair spilling over her bare shoulders, eyes closed and blood-red lips.

The person in the coffin doesn’t move, and Wooseok tentatively moves nearer to take a better look. As soon as he gets closer, it becomes obvious that it’s some type of wax model, the fact only previously hidden by the low, dim lighting in the room. Wooseok lets out a sigh of relief, turning to face the other boy, feeling a lot happier than he had just two minutes ago. It takes him a second to realize that Seungyoun isn’t there, his eyes scanning the small space frantically for the other boy, who has seemingly disappeared into midair. Organ. Table. Goblet. Organ. Table. Goblet. _He didn’t just leave me in here, did he?_ The panic starts to rise in his chest, his gaze flicking back and forth from one end of the room to another, and Wooseok walks towards the door, fully intending to run out into the hallway to find Seungyoun.

“Boo!” Wooseok screams when he turns around, his arms flailing wildly out of surprise, catching a glimpse of the taller boy too late for him to stop himself from spinning, and he prays that Seungyoun ducks in time, squeezing his eyes shut before he feels his hand connecting with what he’s pretty sure is the other boy’s face. _Oh my god._ Wooseok hears the other boy groaning before he opens his eyes, looking down to find Seungyoun crouched on the ground, a hand rubbing his jaw. “Oh god, Wooseok. I didn’t think you _hated_ me or something.” Seungyoun looks up at him ruefully, wincing as he stands and straightens up. “Just kidding, but wow, who would have imagined that such a tiny body would pack such a huge punch.”

Wooseok bites his lip, not able to see whether the other boy is truly injured, the dim lighting in the room making it hard to tell. “Are you okay?” He reaches up tentatively to brush his fingers over the spot Seungyoun had been rubbing, causing the taller boy to shy away, a low hiss of pain escaping. “I’m so, so sorry. I really didn’t mean to.”

Seungyoun grins at him, the teasing smile still gracing his features. “No worries! At least now I know what I’m getting into with you.” The other boy strides over to the coffin with its open lid. “Now, what exactly did I miss?” Wooseok follows him, pointing at the wax figure lying inside the coffin.

“Not much actually.” Wooseok pauses. “I thought something would jump out when I opened the lid, but nothing happened. And she’s definitely not alive.” Seungyoun leans in to get a better look, carefully poking the figure in the shoulder, and Wooseok lets out a breath that he doesn’t even realize he’s holding. _Thank god she’s not real._ But before he can revel in the thought, Wooseok feels it, the light touch of something around his wrist.

It’s warm.

He looks down slowly, already beginning to feel himself tremble, the urge to run starting to overcome all his other senses. Wooseok sees the red first, a deep bright red color matching the fake blood on the walls of the hallway outside, the long, sharpened nails against pale white skin, and the red is on his hands, encircling his wrist, dripping off his fingers. He lets out a bloodcurdling scream, the sound of an even higher pitched voice next to him, and Wooseok feels another hand grabbing his other wrist, almost having a heart attack until he realizes it is only Seungyoun. And he’s being dragged along, his legs churning to keep up with the taller boy who’s fleeing from the room as fast as he possibly can, the sound of footsteps behind them giving chase. When Wooseok turns back to look, the woman has stopped in the middle of the hallway, watching them turn the corner, her red eyes flashing, fake fangs bared.

“N-Never again.” Seungyoun is breathing hard, the two of them stopping to catch their breath once it’s apparent that the woman with the red nails has given up the chase. “We are never doing this ever again.” Wooseok feels the slow flutter of butterflies in his chest as the other boy uses _we_. “Fuck Seungwoo.” He whole-heartedly agrees, swearing at his friend in his head as he nods.

“How’s your face doing?”

Seungyoun touches the spot along his jaw. “Mmm, it’s fine. Don’t worry about me.” The other boy holds out his hand expectantly, palm upwards, waiting for Wooseok. When he doesn’t make a move, a confused expression on his face, Seungyoun makes a clicking noise with his tongue, taking his hand, looking at it intently. “Mostly fake blood, but I just wanted to check whether she nicked you at all.” The other boy looks at him patiently. “She had sharp nails, remember? I think you’re fine though.”

Wooseok still feels Seungyoun’s touch on his wrist after the other boy lets go. “What now?”

“I mean, I supposed we don’t have any other choice than to keep going.” Seungyoun’s mouth is set in a tight line of determination, the other boy reaching out and offering his hand for Wooseok to take. “Right?” He lets Seungyoun interlock their fingers and lead the way, seemingly only one pathway to take anyways, the red of the previous hallway fading into a mottled green, old-fashioned wallpaper like the patterns in abandoned grimy hotels. There doesn’t appear to be anywhere for something to jump out at them, but Wooseok remains vigilant, his eyes scanning from one wall to the other continuously as they walk down it. As they get closer to the other end, a choice presents itself, the pathway veering off into both a left and a right turn with no sign to indicate whether a certain direction is correct or not. “Which way do you want to go?”

Wooseok deliberates, eventually pointing to the right. “That way.”

The corridor is long, leading them to god knows where, but there doesn’t seem to be anything imminently scary down the hall, ending in double doors, doors that look like the ones that lead to the kitchen in restaurants, two small round windows, one on each door, the light from inside room clearly bright even from where they are. _What fresh hell will this be._ “Wooseok, stay behind me, okay?” He thinks about objecting but chooses not to after a moment, letting Seungyoun go first, the feeling of having the other boy take charge decidedly not a bad one. Wooseok peeks out from behind Seungyoun’s shoulder as they walk in, and the first thing he notices is that it’s definitely _not_ a kitchen, though parts of it looks like one. The entire room is tiled, wall to wall, even the floor, in shiny white. A metal rolling table spans most of the room, two metal sinks attached to the opposite wall, and a matching pair of double doors across the room.

And the place is ominously silent.

“Seungyoun?” Wooseok whispers, not daring to raise his voice much, though there’s no one around to hear them anyway. “Maybe we should just leave as fast as po-“ Before he can finish his sentence, a scratching sound is heard, something moving against the tiled floor, and Wooseok feels his heartbeat ricochet up as a small crack appears along the far wall, a portion of the tile sliding to the side, a makeshift door. Seungyoun’s hand tightens around his, and Wooseok shrinks himself into the space behind the taller boy, the two of them frozen to their spots. And someone is backing out of the space, a long white lab coat thrown over scrubs, the clicking of a metal cart being pulled along on to the tile, the sound of metal against metal filling the air.

“Hey, are you-“

Wooseok hears Seungyoun screaming before he even sees the man’s face, but when the taller boy turns to run, he does, and Wooseok finds himself screaming too as the grotesque, zombie-looking face comes into view, half of the features missing. Seungyoun’s hand feels hot and sweaty as they run, through the double doors, down the hallway, not stopping for anything, completely blowing by a few rooms completely. And finally, he can see it in view, the bright sunlight of outside, the huge green letters above the door that says _exit_ , and they burst out of the haunted house, not stopping until they are a good distance away, Wooseok panting to catch his breath.

“Hey.” Wooseok looks up to see Eunsang peering down at him worriedly, Dohyon standing next to the younger boy with his teddy bear. “Are you okay?” He and Seungyoun give each other a knowing look, shaking their heads. “Yeah, we’re fine.” Wooseok gratefully holds out his hands to accept his bear back from Dohyon. “More importantly, where’s Seungwoo and Yohan?”

He doesn’t have to wait long for an answer, the sound of high-pitched screaming coming from the exit, Yohan barreling into view with Seungwoo not far behind. The younger boy looks scared out of his wits, the older not much better though Wooseok certainly thinks Seungwoo is better at hiding it. Yohan immediately makes his way over to Dohyon, linking arms with the younger boy, mustering up an indignant tone in which to chastise his boyfriend. “Worst. Idea. Ever.” Seungwoo only laughs in response, and Wooseok watches amusedly as the older boy chases Yohan around, trying to catch the younger boy to give him a hug, Yohan shrieking in protest.

They end up at the gift shop after Yohan tires of avoiding Seungwoo, letting himself be enveloped in a huge hug by his boyfriend, the rest of them looking on with amusement. Seungyoun had looked at the group apologetically, patting the two youngest on the head, declaring that he had promised Dohyon’s mom that he would bring both Eunsang and Dohyon back by five. And so they had spent some precious time arguing, Seungyoun saying they had to leave, a prospect that made Wooseok’s stomach drop, panicking about not having enough time to say _something_ to the other boy, and Dohyon insisting that they should at _least_ go to the gift shop first before leaving. Long story, short, Dohyon won, Seungyoun grumbling something about _spoilt brats_ on their way to the entrance of the park.

Wooseok peers over the shelves at the other boy, currently engaged in a mock sword fight with Eunsang, with Dohyon cheering them on enthusiastically as an onlooker, holding on to the teddy bear tightly like Wooseok had asked him to. He gets a shock when he hears Yohan behind him, his friend leaning forward to rest his chin on his shoulder, giving him a backhug. “So are you going to do anything about this crush you’ve developed in the span of less than eight hours?” Wooseok makes a noise of strangled protest, not able to come up with the words for a retort off the top of his head. Eventually he splutters out a half-formed comeback. “W-what crush are you even talking about?” Okay, so maybe not his most shining moment.

Seungwoo comes up behind them, wrapping them both in his arms, and Wooseok squirms as he suddenly finds himself in an unwanted group hug. “Errr, the one on Seungyoun? Pretty sure he has a thing for you too already, so I give you at least an 80% chance of making this happen.” Seungwoo pauses. “That’s so long as you don’t do anything stupid, like trip over your own feet and fall flat on your face in front of him when you talk to him about it.”

“About what?” He replies dumbly, feeling out of the loop.

“About going on a date?” Yohan’s says in an incredulous voice.

Wooseok whines, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders. “Why do I have to be the one that asks?”

“Why not?” And with that, Seungwoo sweeps his boyfriend away, leaving Wooseok alone to pout with his thoughts, and he jumps when he hears Seungyoun’s voice behind him, turning around quickly.

“Hey, did you find something you liked yet?”

“I-I-“ Wooseok abruptly feels short of breath, the taller boy standing close, staring at him with that intense gaze of his. “Uhhh, not quite yet.” And now that they’re in the light, he can see it more clearly, the place where he had clipped Seungyoun’s jaw, the spot starting to bloom into a bruise, a mottled bluish forming over the other boy’s skin. The horror rises in his throat as he looks at the smear of red overlying the blue, his voice coming out in a stammer. “Wait, you got cut too.” Seungyoun brings his fingers up to touch the spot, eyes widened in surprise, and Wooseok swats the other boy’s hand away. “Don’t touch it.” He pauses, thought forming. “Wait here.”

He leaves the taller boy standing alone as he searches, striding quickly up and down the aisles of fun souvenirs. _Must be here somewhere._ It doesn’t take him long to spot them, packages of bandaids, and in true amusement park fashion, fun themed for little kids. Wooseok quickly grabs one, shoving the payment at the cashier, not bothering to take his receipt, instead making his way back to the patiently waiting boy at the other side of the store. “Here.” Wooseok tears the package open, clumsily opening the box, shaking one out. Seungyoun stares at him quietly as he carefully opens one, pressing his fingers pressing against the other boy’s jaw, sticking the bandaid over the area. Wooseok tries to ignore the pounding in his chest, holding his breath as he puts the bandaid on, not daring to breath so close to Seungyoun. “All better.” The bandaids he had grabbed were animal-themed, and Wooseok smiles as he sees the foxes, the lone bandaid stuck to Seungyoun’s jaw a sharp contrast from the other boy’s serious gaze.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” The guilt gnaws at Wooseok, adding on. “It was my fault anyways.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have tried scaring you.”

“Probably not.”

The smile spreads on Seungyoun’s face. “Well, since you bought me something, I really feel like I should get you a gift.” Wooseok shakes his head vehemently, trying to turn down the other boy’s offer. “You already won me a teddy bear.” He protests. “That’s already enough.”

“Hmm, I think you should let me get you something.” Seungyoun grins. “I insist.” The taller boy points at the spot on his chin. “You wouldn’t argue with someone you _literally_ punched in the face, would you?” Seungyoun makes a face, an expression of mock pain gracing his features. “That just seems like bad manners.”

Touché _._

Wooseok frowns at the other boy, a low whine in response. “I can’t believe you’re actually going to use that against me.”

Seungyoun’s eyes sparkle at him, mouth set in a self-satisfied curl. “I thought you knew me better than that by now.” The teasing tone makes his stomach churn with delight, the feeling of happiness spreading through him. Wooseok scans the store, thinking of what possibly to choose, something small and not too exorbitantly priced. There. He points to the display along the back wall, Seungyoun following him over. “You want this?” Wooseok nods, picking out one headband at random, snagging the closest one, which happens to be all white, the ears soft and fluffy. “You want cat ears?” Seungyoun’s tone is skeptical, taking the headband from Wooseok, holding it over his head and squinting as if he’s trying to picture it. The smile tugs at the corner of Seungyoun’s lips. “Okay, this is kind of cute. Sure, cat ears it is for Wooseok.”

“Hurry up, you slowpokes!” Dohyon screams from across the store, arms occupied with the teddy bear still, with Eunsang carrying the rest of their merchandise. Seungyoun curses lowly under his breath. “Or else we’re going to leave without you!”

Seungwoo calls out before following the other three out of the store. “Meet you two at the entrance outside.”

The two of them walk up to the cashier, Seungyoun carrying his gift, and Wooseok waits idly near the stacks of postcards as the other boy pays, looking at the variety of pictures, spotting the roller coaster and the haunted house immediately. Wooseok hears the other boy murmur something to the cashier, and Seungyoun darts off, returning a few moments later with something else in his hands that Wooseok can’t quite see. The cashier wishes them a good day, and Wooseok lets out a small gasp as Seungyoun grabs his hand as the taller boy makes his way towards the door, his other hand holding a plastic bag with their purchases. They start walking towards the entrance, the rest of their group visible in the distance, mulling near the gate.

“Wait, I want to see this on you.” Seungyoun stops in his tracks abruptly, causing Wooseok to screech to a stop too, digging his hand into the bag to grab the white cat ears, deftly pulling off the tag. And he swoons as he feels Seungyoun place the cat ears on him, fitting the band neatly behind his ears. “Cute, very cute.” Wooseok swears he almost feels his heart stop beating as the taller boy reaches back into the bag to grab the second purchase, a pair of orange-ish cat ears, similar to the ones Seungyoun had gotten for Wooseok, slipping them onto his head after removing the tag. Seungyoun smiles at him as he does, and Wooseok feels an extra twinge of joy as he sees the ears on the other boy, the color of the cat ears matching the bandaid still stuck to Seungyoun’s jaw.

The taller boy turns to leave, and suddenly both Yohan and Seungwoo’s reprimanding faces pop up in his head, and Wooseok panics, blurting out the words before he can even think about what to do next. “Do you like me?” Seungyoun turns, a bewildered expression on his face, mouth gaping open in a perfect circle, the whole image making Wooseok think he’s made a very big mistake. “I mean, because I think, I would, um, maybe like to get to, uh, know you more?” He says weakly, not sure how to take the other boy’s open-mouthed silence. “Like, I had a lot of fun today, and ummm, I thought maybe you did too…?” Wooseok can feel the blush rising in his cheeks, the flush running up from the base of his neck, and he hopes that he isn’t as red as he imagines, not quite an attractive shade on him.

Seungyoun raises his eyebrows in disbelief, and Wooseok winces slightly as the taller boy flicks him in the forehead lightly. “Uhh, Wooseok? Did you not get the hint that I like you?” The other boy stares at him dumbfounded as he shakes his head no. “Errr, why else would I have bought us matching cat ears?” Seungyoun bites at his lower lip, tugging at one of the ears with his thumb and index finger, the other boy’s face gradually turning a scarlet-red. “These don’t exactly look _cool_ , I just bought them because you wanted them, and I thought it would be nice to have a pair.” Seungyoun tilts his head to the side questioningly. “And I thought I made it pretty clear already with the teddy bear? I mean, I could have given it to Dohyon, but I wanted you to have it.”

Oh.

Wooseok feels the swell of happiness in his chest, bubbling to the surface as he speaks. “I thought you were just being nice.”

The statement makes Seungyoun smile widely at him, his eyes scrunching up in little half moons. “Well, how about you give me your phone number, and I can spend some time just being nice to you again. Maybe, let’s say, Friday night of this week?”

And he’s just about to respond with a resounding _yes_ , when the shrill scream pierces the air, causing both of them to turn. “Will you two lovebirds hurry up already?”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you again to whoever prompted this!


End file.
